FateStay Night: Undead Blade World
by Cross177
Summary: KR Blade/Fate/Stay Night xover Fate's change and they are realized in ways they aren't imagined. From the release of immortals to a Battle Royale between heroes from space and time. Follow the journey of Shirou Emiya, Kamen Rider Blade and Master of Saber, in his fight against Undead and the Holy Grail War. To be a protector of Justice. Pairings: Undecided.
1. Hand 1: The Cards Shuffled

_Cross177: _I would like to thank CanadianRider for the idea of this crossover.

And I would like to say that I'm like Moriarty from BBC's Sherlock, "I am SOOO changeable." Yeah, I was gonna post up the Saint's Row/Black Lagoon xover but I had to reset my computer and I forgot to back up the finished files, so yeah. I thank god I got the files for Kamen Rider Blade.

And before I forget, Disclaimer: Fate/Stay Night is owned by Type-Moon and KR Blade is owned by Toei.

Gonna start it off at T and probably up the rating to M depending on how it goes.

Now I give you...

* * *

**Fate/Stay Night:**

**Undead Blade World  
**

**Hand 1: The Cards Shuffled  
**

* * *

_I am Kotaro Shirai, and this is my story of legend and war._

_A war depicting the fate of humanity and a war of selfish desire._

_And somehow, these two wars collide with each other._

_And it all starts with my first ever witness of the fight between the rumored masked riders Kamen Riders and the undying beings known as Undead._

* * *

Kotaro Shirai, clad in his climbing gear, was traveling through the forests of Fuyuki until the trail he was following went cold and hit a cliff side at the beach. Anchoring a spike into the rocky surface, he rappelled down to the sandy floor to find a cave in the rock wall.

Unbeknownst to him, a blue silver armored dirt biker was riding along the beach side.

All the while, a red silver armored dual horned figure battled a bat-like creature as they exchanged blows before the bat creature punched the armored warrior into the concrete wall leaving a crater as he fell.

Still a ways away, the blue silvered armored figure rode on before his communicator beeped. _"Shirou-san, your mark is twenty kilometers southwest." _"Roger!"

In a remote location, the video of the red warrior's struggling fight was monitored by a man and woman, "Hurry Shirou-san," she warned, "Tachibana-san is being pushed back." "If you want to save Tachibana-san, you have to hurry," the man pressured.

The rider didn't say anything and just gunned it.

Back to Kotaro, he reached the mouth of the cave and jumped down. And what he saw he couldn't believe. The most he heard from the news were the gas leaks and mysterious murders, the most exciting news anyone got in the past ten years was what was called the Great Fuyuki Fire that erupted suddenly in the middle of town. It left very few survivors.

Very recently there were rumors of these masked warriors dubbed, Kamen Riders combating these monsters that suddenly showed up out of nowhere. Many doubts surrounded these so called urban legends, and now he found proof that these Kamen Riders exist. And one was fighting these humanoid monsters that have been showing up.

Back to the battle at hand, the red Rider was pushing back the bat creature till it summoned a swarm of bats obscuring the Rider's view. His destruction at the bat's hand was imminent till the wall exploded as the blue Rider flew out of the hole on his bike. Between the two riders, the only main differences were the color of the suits, the crest on the armor on their chest, legs, shoulders, and buckle, and the helmets.

The blue Rider held a spade crest on his chest plate, greaves, and spaulders, whilst the helmet based after a hercules beetle whilst the red rider held the diamond crest on his armor where the helmet was based after the stag beetle.

"Tachibana-san, you all right?" "I'm fine Shirou. Just help me take this thing down."

The bat flew and immediately the two riders followed with the red Rider on his own bike with Kotaro immediately following at a slower pace so they don't see him.

The Riders followed a few ways off further into the tunnels till the red Rider pulled out a gun with a diamond emblem on its sides to shoot it out of the air. Firing off a few shots he missed as the bullets ricocheted off the cave walls. He kept shooting and swerved and turned.

In a straight shot portion of the cave, the red Rider took aim and fired, hitting the underbelly causing it to screech in pain and undulate under the wing beats in pain. The blue rider took his spade crested sword from his waist and flung it.

The sword hits its mark and clips the bat's wing dropping it to the ground as the sword embedded itself into the wall. The blue rider grabs back his sword from the wall as they drive up to the creature.

Disembarking from their bikes, the blue rider flipped his sword downwards and pulled on a notch fanning out a set of cards. Taking out the 4 of spades with a bronze armored boar image, he slides it through the scanner and slid it across the edge.

'**TACKLE'**

The fan closes as the card glows, the boar image glows blue and flies into the armor. As the bat scrambles to stand, the blue rider takes a stabbing pose cradling the edge of the sword; the armored rider glowed and charged. The effort turned futile as the bat swatted him away.

"Shirou-san, you're no match for it. I'll take it on," said the red Rider as he shot the bat several times before pulling a notch from his gun to fan out his own set of cards. Pulling out two cards he took the 5 of Diamond Drop Whale and the 6 of Diamond Firefly and sliding them through the Rouse scanner in the iron sights.

'**DROP'**

'**FIRE'**

Flicking off the two cards into the air, they glowed and turned into two glowing images of a whale and firefly merging into the red Rider's armor. Empowered by the cards, he somersaulted in the air as his feet ignited performing a flaming reverse double axe kick connecting with its chest and its head.

Its body spewed green blood raising a green mist overhead as it thrashed around. The stone belt buckle around the creatures waist opened revealing a runic looking 8.

"Category 8, interesting." Taking another card, he took a different designed card which held its category but instead the image held crisscrossing chains and threw it embedding into the beast's chest causing it to freeze absorbing the green mist and blood before sucking in the physical body. Once the body was fully absorbed, leaving no trace of it, the card flew back to the red Rider's hand revealing the 8 of Diamond Scope Bat.

Kotaro, eyes open in amazement in watching the events climb up to its conclusion, just gaped and eyed the card in the red Rider's hand, _'What… what is that card?'_

"Shirou, I thought you were taught not to fight blindly," the red Rider, Sakuya Tachibana said walking back to his bike as he pulled the latched onto his buckle revealing the Ace Diamond Change Stag before pulling it out.

"I know," the blue Rider said, "still getting used to this." "Just be careful," Tachibana warned as a blue aura covered the red Rider revealing a 30 something year old.

The blue Rider watched Tachibana walk off to his bike as he pulled the handle on his buckle revealing the Ace Spade Change Beetle as the same blue aura revealed a 16 year old teen with red hair, Shirou Emiya, "I am, but with Taiga-sensei on my back with all this BOARD stuff, I don't want her to get too involved with all this."

Tachibana said nothing as he rode off leaving Shirou to himself putting his bike helmet on. He was about to turn on the engine till Kotaro decided to show himself, "The entrance was pretty cool, but after that, you kind of fell apart there."

"Who are you?" Shirou demanded. "I'm Shirai Kotarou, nice to meet you. I'm an up and coming science non-fiction writer. And you are my subject," said the writer.

"Eh? Subject?" Shirou blinked.

"Well, I've been researching you guys every since those creature started popping up. Legendary men in armor, fighting violent battles against mysterious life forms. A man who walks the path of a Kamen Rider. Way better than those gas leaks that the news have been picking up lately," this guy was as giddy as a kid in a candy store.

"Look I don't know what you're talking about, but…" "I've heard rumors and here you are. Kind of hard to believe you're still a kid."

"Seriously, I got to go. Not to mention, I don't want to be your subject," Shirou said, really wanting to get away from this character, so he turned his key starting his engine. But Kotaro didn't want him to leave as he reached for the key as well turning it off. Both just fumbled with the key till Shirou was able to push him away and rev the engine to life riding away.

Kotaro left all to his lonesome just pouted seeing his subject riding away.

* * *

Finally away from that writer, he arrived to the BOARD HQ on the outskirts of Fuyuki. Moving through the sliding doors he made his way to a potted plant connecting his phone to the fake plant/computer ID lock, up the stars palming at the corner support cap as it scanned his finger prints, and finally to an old foreign painting revealing to be a retinal scanner opening the double doors as he made his way into BOARD's lab section.

Inside BOARD's main office, Tachibana was there with one of the female operators, Shiori Hirose, speaking with the President of BOARD, Kei Karasuma, as she asked, "Just what the hell are these Undead?"

"All you need to do is focus on sealing them," Karasuma answered, "We'll do the investigating."

"Investigate, huh?" said Tachibana, "I understand the Rouse Card System works, but…"

"What is it Tachibana?" "There's something I've been debating on. You had me saved pretty quickly. Even brought Shirou here for an 'emergency'," replied the Rider.

"Think I can't do it." "No," the president replied back, "I know you can. But there is a 1 in 10,000 chance."

Tachibana walked off at his boss's answer, but before he got to the door, Shirou tried to diffuse the situation, "Hey, you were still great out there, even after I got there. I'm mean…" "Shirou, what are you fighting for?" "Eh?" the teenage Rider said, slightly confused with the question.

"Why did you become a Rider?" "To protect others, so that no one would have to go through what I did. A Hero of Justice, like my father wanted to be," Shirou answered. "Don't be so naive," said Tachibana shaking his head. Turning to the director, "This is my one warning." With that, Tachibana walked off with his warning hanging in the air.

"Sorry to keep you from your classes Shirou-san. I'll make sure that your teacher knows you're on your way," apologized the director. "Thank you Karasuma-san," Shirou bowed.

* * *

Shirou rode through the streets towards Homurahara High School,_ 'BOARD, Board Of Archeological Research Department, from what I understand it is why mankind has survived for so many years. Some of their research has gone from stem cell research to creating cure for diseases. But when the Undead attacks came, they started on the Kamen Rider project which they invited me as one of their employees under the guise as an intern, the President's idea. Sure this kind of thing is supposed to be secret but I've always wondered, why me?' _

'_Is it because of my convictions, my relation with Kiritsugu Emiya, my step-father? Do they know that he was a mage, and immediately figured me to have some magic power in me? Wouldn't be completely false, I am somewhat a mage, but all I can do is Reinforce objects and analyze an object's internal structure.'_

'_But for whatever reason it was, I'm glad that it happened. I don't wish for fame or glory, I just want to protect others as Kamen Rider Blade with Tachibana-san as Kamen Rider Garren. So others don't have to go through what I did. The Great Fuyuki Fire, an incident that happened 10 years ago whereas I was the only survivor. My parents who I don't even remember were dead and I was adopted by my step-father.'_

'_Upon current events there have been news of these mysterious deaths and gas leaks, it's got me wondering if there is more going on. Gas leaks causing no recollection of anything in the hours before they've been asleep, and the mysterious deaths caused in their homes. At first I thought these were Undead attacks that were under the radar, but the so called 'gas leaks' that left their victims with short term memory loss didn't fit the Undead M.O. and the descriptions of how some of the victims were killed said they we're stabbed rather than horribly mutilated like the other two Undead attacks. So these questions come to mind, are some of the other Undead smarter than mindless beasts, that wish to be left alone, or is there something else a foot?'_

Stepping out of his thoughts, he spots the parking area for his bike as well as Kenichi Hayakawa, one of the teachers of Homurahara High as well as an employee from BOARD. "You're in luck; Homeroom is almost over so you'll be able to make it for first period with Mr. Kuzuki. Though Taiga would probably be giving you an earful once she finds you," said the teacher smirking.

"Blame the President," Shirou snapped, "He called me just when I was about to leave school with Sakura-chan." "Ooh, have a little soft spot for the Matou girl?" Hayakawa teased as they walked towards the halls.

"Shut up, you know we see each other as surrogate siblings. Besides, I think she likes that Hajime Aikawa guy better," That was an understatement of the year. Ever since Hajime Aikawa enrolled to Homurahara High at the beginning of the year, Sakura seemed to have this infatuation with him spending a lot of time with the new guy. But whether its love or something else, no one knows. All the while, her brother Shinji would have this dark look whenever he sees the two together.

At first Shirou ignored it thinking it was nothing considering he knew Shinji from Sakura since grade school. But ever since he got that job as an 'intern' for BOARD and trained for the Rider System, he became more aware of Shinji and didn't like what he saw. Bullying around the first-year archery members, pushing his duties to other students, the more he saw of this side of Shinji, the more he realized what an ass he is.

Even some of the harsh words he said to Sakura almost made him punch his that guy's lights out. Well, if Hajime didn't do the deed himself. Ever since then, Aikawa made No. 1 on Shinji's shit list and then Hajime and Sakura became the school's No.1 power couple of the year, the sweet and innocent house wife Sakura Matou with the strong and mostly silent Hajime Aikawa.

'_Still, there's one thing that still bothers me. Where did he come from? He just popped up from out of nowhere and I got this unsettling feeling whenever I'm around him. Then again I feel the same around Shinji, but he's just a creep._'

By the time they reached the classroom they see Taiga exit from. And once she spies Shirou from the corner of her eye, "SHIIIIROUUUU!"

The two wince hearing the shrill voice of Taiga as she grabbed the student by his collar shaking him around like a rag doll pouring out the crocodile tears, "Where have you been?! You were supposed to be in class with Sakura-chan! I was so worried!"

Hayakawa sweat dropped and tried to dissipate the situation, "Ah Fujimura-san, his internship called him for an emergency situation. The President called when Shirou-san left for school. Luckily he didn't miss anything yet."

This seemed to calm her down but still left her with a pout, "Okay, but Shirou-san I want to talk to your boss about this 'internment' deal you have with BOARD." "I'll be sure you talk to them. The president is a personal friend of mine. I'll place your concerns to him. Shirou get to class, I'll handle Fujimura-sensei."

Shirou sighs and shakes his head watching his house guardian's antics. Upon entering the classroom, he spots the stoic and serious looking Mr. Kuzuki having the day duty student call out roll call who stopped when Shirou entered the room. Shirou nearly faltered a bit seeing Kuzuki's intensified glare, "Shirou-san, whilst I'm glad to see you in class, please make sure the next time you're late you would come in from the back entrance quietly so you wouldn't interrupt."

"Ah ha, yeah, I'll make sure, next time," Shirou sweat dropped walking to his seat.

By lunch period, Shirou made his way through the halls till, "Shirou-san!" Turning around he found Sakura towing around Hajime. "Ah Sakura-san," "Where were you? You missed homeroom," Sakura asked worriedly.

"Sorry, my job had me come in for an emergency," Shirou answered scratching the back of his head. "You should be more careful Emiya-san," spoke Hajime in a dangerous tone, "Someone like Sakura shouldn't be left alone like that."

The words dug deep in Shirou as he cringed at Hajime's tone. It reminded him of Tachibana earlier this morning. "Hajime-san, don't heckle Shirou-san like that. To be interning at BOARD must be taxing, plus with Shirou's experience with machines it's understandable for him to be called to work like that," chided Sakura slapping him lightly on the shoulder.

"Sorry, but he should have been more mindful," said Hajime, lightly glaring at Shirou.

"Ne, Shirou-san, have you heard of the urban legend that's been going around lately," Sakura asked changing the subject.

"Hmm, 'urban legend'?" '_Could she be talking about the …?_'

"Lately there have been strands of violent murders in public to go along with the recent killings in local households. But instead of a weapon, these people seem to have been murdered by an animal or something. Some people who said they saw the murderer says it's not a person at all, but some kind of two legged animal monster."

'_Undead._'

"But as soon as these monsters acted, these armored warriors came into action. I believe they were called Kamen Riders."

"Kamen Riders?" Hajime asked.

Sakura nodded in confirmation, "Heroes who fight for humanity. Like knights in shining armor protecting the people. Almost like King Arthur."

Shirou smiled at the thought, it almost matched his legend, "Kind of sound like him."

The two shared a laugh not noticing Hajime who seemed to look blankly at the floor, '_Kamen Rider…_' What are these words? '_Kamen Rider…_' Why do they sound…?

His breathing became slightly labored, enough for Sakura and Shinji to notice. "Hajime-san, are you okay?" Hajime stumbled to his knees causing Sakura to cry out in alarm, "Hajime-san!" Her outburst was just loud enough to catch everyone's attention. "I'm alright Sakura-san, just a little dizzy," he answered in attempts to calm her down.

"Let's get you to the nurse's office right now," Sakura insisted. Hajime was about to object but he just couldn't, not to Sakura anyways. "You should listen to her," Shinji piped up, "Once she makes up her mind, you can't make her change it."

Sakura lifted him up to support him onto her shoulder, "I'll see you later Shirou-san." "Yeah, see you later. I got to get to Issei-san anyways," Shirou smiled back making his way to the Student Council room leaving him to his thoughts, '_Looks like me and Tachibana-san are pretty famous, we should watch ourselves if it's like this._'

His thoughts came to a pause thought as he saw another female student, and her red outfit isn't the only reason why he knows her, it was mainly her reputation. '_Rin Tohsaka of class 2-A, nothing really bad about her. Good grades, beautiful, and lots of flattering rumors from the male student body. Nearly every boy in the school is gunning for her. Just a perfectly normal average school girl._'

'_To the untrained eye. After working with BOARD, you find normal to be just as bad as the abnormal. Because I've noticed outside of her group assignments and school, she's not the most sociable person. Maybe I'm over thinking it like Hajime-san. Too many hours with BOARD probably made me a bit paranoid, I'm already paranoid with Taiga-sensei. But still, maybe it's just me; it just feels like there's more to Tohsaka-san than meets the eye._'

* * *

Hours Later

The Emiya Estate was a fairly rustic looking home you see some of the more traditional rich Japanese families live in. But considering his legal guardian, Fujimura Taiga, is the granddaughter of Raiga Fujimura who was one of Kiritsugu Emiya's acquaintances and land manager.

Luckily, Taiga is usually gone at night and he has the house all to himself until the morning. Taking his bike to his shed he spies an old outdated heater put there by probably one of his friends from the student committee. "Well, better get started on it."

* * *

In a small restaurant café, the Jacaranda, Hajime and Sakura helped clean the dishes after closing hour. When Sakura first met Hajime, she liked to know where he stayed. The small restaurant café was owned by Haruka Kurihara and her 8 year-old daughter Amane.

Like Sakura, Amane liked Hajime, and while the girl may be a bit jealous with the older girl, the two hit it off were like sisters. Haruka liked to see these two get along and even asked if Sakura wanted to work at the Jacaranda part time.

But Sakura was slightly reluctant; something Hajime noticed was slightly uncharacteristic of her before realizing it was her brother Shinji. Hajime spoke to Shinji, what it was most definitely spooked the arrogant teen, mostly explaining why he's No. 1 on his shit list, but it allowed Sakura work at the Jacaranda with Hajime.

Currently Haruka's brother Kotaro, an up and coming writer, was sharing his tale of meeting a Kamen Rider. Apparently he heard some rumors about them as well.

Sakura passed a cup of tea to Kotaro as he mentioned his failure to find a publisher. "Aw, sorry to hear that," apologized Sakura. "It's alright, I've already found a new inspiration," Kotaro grinned. "You mean the Kamen Riders?" "Yep, and I've already got the book down," Kotaro bragged.

Unnoticed to the rest, Hajime stumbled again, fortunately he caught himself so he wouldn't bring attention to himself, '_Kamen Rider? Why? Why does that name affect me so much?_'

"Hajime-san, are you okay?" Sakura asked concerned. "Yeah," said Hajime shaking head, "just need to rest. I'll be in my room."

Rushing back to his living quarters, he slams the door shut as he gasps for air.

_Kamen Rider_

What is it?

_Kamen Rider_

What the hell is it!?

From his person, a card fell from his coat. It's looked like a playing card. An Ace of Hearts, the Change Mantis rouse card the image depicting a mantis encased in a crystal heart. As soon as he laid eyes on it, visions of a red and black armored figure flashed for a split second as he slammed his fist to the oak door struggling against some sort of inner battle within him.

* * *

Evening

A dark room surrounded one Rin Tohsaka as she holds a book of old magical origin the circle below glows as she chants the following spell.

"_**I command thee, thou shalt come to my side. Thy sword shall control my fate. Abiding by the Holy Grail's haven. If thou accedest to this will and reason, then answer me. The oath set forth here. I am the embodiment of good in the eternal world. I am the disposer of evil in the eternal world. Thee the seven heavens that bear the Great Trinity. Come forth the circle of constraint."**_

And with a drop of blood, it splashes onto the circle causing it to rise and spread.

"_**O guardian of the balance."**_

-BOOM-

* * *

Shirou suddenly jolts from his sleep, tired spending the rest of his afternoon working on the heater when he hears his phone ringing.

Letting out a yawn, he picks up the phone and brings it to his ear, "Hello?" only to be greeted by frantic cries.

"_Shirou-kun! BOARD is under attack! Please hurry!"_

"I'll be there soon."

Grabbing his helmet, he heads back to BOARD. Someone or something had attacked HQ; hopefully things aren't as bad as it sounds when he gets there.

* * *

Rin runs through her hallway just to find what that explosion was.

Did the spell work? Was it a dud? Hopefully she got something.

Opening the door, she got her answer. A dark skinned man in black body armor and a red coat with snow white hair. He just sat there so casually ignoring the destroyed furniture in the room as he sat with his leg crossed over the other. "My, my," he spoke, "I certainly got picked by a wonderful Master."

She just stared at him with a pout.

* * *

Shirou finally got to BOARD hearing its security systems blaring its alarms, spotlights swerving around to find its culprit for its attack. He rushed in with no hesitation finding the whole building filled with grasshopper everywhere. Running through the labs, he found bodies everywhere.

It was horrible, everywhere he looked, dead bodies and destroyed equipment and years of research. Finally he made it to the command center and found it just as destroyed and filled with death as well. Shirou grit his teeth; it was just like the Fire ten years ago. Flashes of the Fire enter his mind, many different bodies surrounding his own near-dead body. He promised himself that something like this would never happen again, the massacre of dozens and hundreds of people.

But when a nearby door banged, the door was stuck behind some debris and someone couldn't get out. Shirou was glad, a survivor.

Pulling onto the door, he found Hirose. Alive, but bleeding, at least the wounds weren't serious. "Hirose-san, are you okay? What happened?" "The Undead. The Undead just attacked us," Prepping herself up to the wall, she kept talking, "Tachibana, I think I saw Tachibana-san controlling it." "Tachibana-san!? Why would he do this?" he couldn't believe it, why would Tachibana attack BOARD. Was it from what he said earlier this morning?

"I heard Tachibana-san and Karasuma-san arguing, and from what Tachibana said, sounded like he was threatening BOARD," "What do you mean? What exactly did he say?"

She opened her mouth, but what she had to say died as the windows shattered open as a swarm of grasshoppers flew out the door. Seeing the enemy, Shirou followed after it ignoring Hirose cries.

The swarm led him outside before they merged together creating a solid body, a humanoid Grasshopper Undead.

"Found you," pulling out the Blay Buckle and Category Ace of Spades, he slipped the card into the buckle. With the card inside, red cards flew out one slot around his waist and into the other end of the buckle. The object chimed and hummed as Shirou placed a hand on the handle, "**HENSHIN!**" he flipped the buckle revealing a golden spade. The Grasshopper charged ignoring the blue field of the beetle emerging from the buckle getting knocked on its backside as the field collided with the Undead.

With a battle cry, Shirou charged through the field changing into the Blue Rider of Spades, Kamen Rider Blade.

* * *

"So you don't know anything about your name save for your servant class?" Rin asked taking a sip of tea her 'guest' had made for her.

"Yes, since the summoning spell you casted had somewhat backfired, I have no recollection of my past life," said her 'guest' indulging in some tea himself. Rin pouted somewhat at the shot at her magecraft, even if it was true. Upon enacting the ritual, she had tried take account all factors before the summoning, more specifically, the moon by which she assumed was a full moon so that her powers would be at its peak.

Unfortunately, her overconfidence in her abilities and her lack of timing cost her Servant's loss of memory and her living room.

But Rin always knew how to make a positive out of a negative, "Okay Archer, while I might not know your true name, neither will the enemy so your weakness or weaknesses are potentially safe."

"I'm sure they won't," Archer smirked taking another sip of tea. "Hmm," stopping mid-sip Archer's attention turned to the nearest window on the right. "Is there something wrong Archer?" asked Rin.

"Someone's fighting," Archer answered. "The Command Seals aren't reacting, so why should it concern us?" Rin asked indignantly. "Because who or whatever is fighting is using a powerful and old mana source," Archer answered.

"Should we be worried?" she asked curiously. "It's not a Servant or a Master, but the mana is coating someone in it," said the Servant.

"Let's go," she ordered grabbing her red coat, "it's the dead of night so nobody should be able to see us. But in any case, be prepared." "You don't even need to ask," he smirked grabbing her waist, "Hang on."

* * *

Blade pulled out his Blay Rouser in an underhand hold and slashed at it causing sparks to fly. Holding it in a proper stance, he swung his sword in an overhead swing. The Grasshopper Undead jumped back and dodged. Stepping forward he thrust but the sword was swatted away. A battle cry followed the wide cross swipe.

Rage and sorrow filled his actions. A comrade's betrayal and the slaughtered people he came to know here in BOARD, he knew most of them had loved ones. Whilst the attacks were strong, Blade's swings were wild and uncontrolled. Many close calls towards the Undead, but they kept being blocked and kicked away.

The Undead threw a roundhouse kick breaking through Blade's defense. Blade recovered and retaliated with another roar followed with wide right swing. The Undead caught the sword and booted the Rider with a forward kick launching him several feet away.

Blade flew and tumbled to his back. His breathing slightly ragged, off the corner of his eye he sees Garren just watching the match go by as Blade rolls away to dodge a hard stomp from the Undead avoiding his head from becoming a crater.

"What's going on here?" asked Rin watching the events unfold. Rin and Archer was able to find the disturbance easily from the spotlights and the alarms blaring from the BOARD building, they were able to find a hiding spot in the forest nearby, Rin on a branch hidden behind the bushes of the trees while Archer stayed on a broken lamp post. She couldn't believe it, before her was one of the rumored Kamen Riders she heard from her classmates talk about and these…things.

It was some sort of humanoid grasshopper; she hasn't seen anything like it. And the mana signature, like Archer had said, it was old but powerful. And both were radiating in it, the armored figure more so than the bug. But somewhere, she sensed a third signature. But she couldn't pinpoint where due to the fighting going on. The air smelled grassy like the bug creature and its mana was everywhere in the area.

"Archer, you have an idea what that thing is?" Archer didn't say anything and frowned, something about these things he didn't like. It wasn't a dark magic feeling, but it was still ominous.

"Archer," Rin whispered seeing her Servant just watching the fight. "Archer!" Rin slapped the white haired Archer on his armor catching his attention, "I asked you if you had an idea on those things?"

"No, like I said, the power they hold is old. If I had to guess, the magic is about as old as or older than the First," Archer surmised. "O-older than the First Magic," Rin repeated incredulously. Something like that that was older than the First magic, was creation of life, within God's territory who made the first humans, i.e. Adam and Eve.

Just what are they dealing here?

* * *

'_Why is he just watching?_' Blade thought throwing a right hook at the grasshopper before blocking its swipe with its clawed hands.

'_Are you really a traitor?_' thoughts clouded his ability to fight when he blocked a punch to receive a kick in the gut and knock him down.

Walking to his side, the Grasshopper Undead reared its leg again and kicked his stomach causing his eyes to bulge under the mask launching him to the tree nearby. If he wasn't in Rider form, this would probably have killed him from his spine breaking. But his mind wasn't on the pain or on the Hopper's foot over his head, but rather on Tachibana, a comrade, a teacher, a friend.

And now he's traitor.

Why?

'_Why did you betray us?_'

"BLADE!"

The motor of a motorbike rang throughout the area as a black Honda X250 rocketed with N0S flames from the exhaust pipes into the Undead pushing it away from Blade. A gunshot echoed in the area and blew up the bike engulfing it in a ball of flame.

Looking up from his back, he sees a figure in black biker gear with a shining matching biker helmet holding the smoking shotgun in hand.

"Remember your training, mission first, then your personal problems," said the biker pulling the Rider back to his feet. "Hayakawa-san?" The biker scoffed flicking open the visor, "That's 'sensei' to you."

"How did you-?" "I was grading papers at the time when Hirose-san called me. I gunned it as soon as I got the message," Hayakawa explained as Blade retrieved his Blay Rouser.

The clicking hiss of the grasshopper sounded through the crackling fire. "Listen, we don't have time before that thing recovers. Take care of the Undead and I'll get Hirose and any other survivors, if there are any."

"But Tachibana…" "Remember, mission first, personal problems later, got it," Hayakawa said sternly. Blade stared into his eyes and saw the seriousness in them, "Right, take care of Hirose-san." "Good luck."

Hayakawa dart towards the wrecked building when the Grasshopper Undead jumped out hissing angrily. It passed Blade and jetted towards Hayakawa, "Dammit!"

"Archer, help him," Rin commanded. Archer nodded as he summoned a night black bow. Pulling back the bowstring his hand filled with mana as it glowed forming into a-

"**TACKLE**"

"Wha-?"

Before the Undead could land on Hayakawa Blade bashed into the Grasshopper sending it flying as he glowed in the translucent aura of the 4 of Spades Tackle.

"Go!"

Hayakaya nods in confirmation and bolted into the building. Blade held a kendo stance whilst the Hopper got back on its feet. '_Focus on the mission. Tachibana will be dealt with later._'

The Hopper charged once again and swung with its left claw as Blade parried the offending appendage away. Right claw, same result. Side kick with its left leg and Blade swatted it away with the butt of his weapon sending a round-house kick of his own. It wasn't as powerful but it caused the Undead to stumble back. With his mind clear, his actions were proper and effective.

Recovering from its stumble it hunched over to all fours whilst its legs contorted and turned into actual grasshopper legs. All the while, Blade turned over his Blay Rouser and fanned out his cards again pulling out the Category 2 of Spades Slash Lizard. Off to the side, Garren was gone. He couldn't let his mind wonder, he had to keep it on the battle.

He barely had time to slide the card through the rouser scanner as the Hopper launched itself to Blade.

"**SLASH**"

The sword he held edged and sharpened as it glowed with the Category 2's power. Blade attacked with an underhand slash at the rocketing Grasshopper as it collided with the Rider and into the nearby wall behind him leaving a web-like cracked crater into the wall.

Blade was damaged with the full force of the attack, but so was the Undead as it fell to the ground with Blade following behind as he plopped to the grassy earth as well.

The Undead was the first to get back on its legs before it succumbed to the Slash card's effect and spewed green blood from the split wound through its torso and head. Heavily damaged from the last attack, Blade was able to bring the strength of one more deed. Pulling out a Seal card he threw it towards the wounded insect as it was absorbed into the card before flying back to Blade.

"BLADE!" Hayakawa called out pulling up in an army green jeep with Hirose on the passenger seat as Blade succumbed to his wounds sustained from the battle falling face first.

"Hirose-san, get his legs and get him inside," Hayakawa instructed as he pulled on the Buckle turning him back into Shirou's civilian form sporting a few bruises and cuts here and there.

Pulling him inside the back seat of the jeep, Hayakawa drove off from BOARD HQ leaving their dead comrades. All the while Archer and Rin fled in the dead of night with Rin contemplating the events that has transpired here and Archer with his own thoughts.

* * *

Driving the streets of Miyamachou side of Fuyuki, Hayakawa with his helmet off took a quick glace to the back seeing Shirou trying to be nursed by Hirose, "Hirose-san, how's Shirou?" "He's fine, actually he's amazingly healed about half-way," Hirose replied with surprise in her voice.

"You must be an amazing nurse," Hayakawa smirked. "No, he's half way healed and I didn't even start on him. The bruises are fading and the cuts are stitching themselves together, not even a scratch," Hirose informed him shocking the driver.

"The hell, how is that possible? The wounds he had should have lasted for days. That kind of healing only exists in comics," Hayakawa states pulling up at the Emiya estate. Popping open the passenger side he gets a good look at Shirou, and true enough, all the wounds sustained after the battle were gone.

'_Who the hell did Kiritsugu pick up during the Fire?_' "Get yourself settled in the guest room Hirose-san, it's in the hall 4 doors down. I'll get Shirou in his room," Hirose nodded and started grabbing her supplies she packed from BOARD.

As Hirose unpacked, Hayakawa picked up Shirou in both arms walking towards the Estate's corridors. '_Hard to believe it's been 5 years, days before the Fire since I've been here._'

*_Flashback_*

_Emiya Estate_

"_You called me here Emiya?" a young Hayakawa asked._

_Kiritsugu in a dark brown kimono slowly nodded, "I needed to speak to you. This might be the last time I may be able to do so."_

_The mythologist quirked an eyebrow at the response, "What are you talking about?"_

"_I'm dying and I don't have much time. At most I estimate at least a day or two," Emiya informed him grimly. "Dammit," Hayakawa scowled, "It was the Grail wasn't it?"_

"_Yes. I knew it after the fourth War had ended that I was on borrowed time. A curse from the Grail when I realized that it has been corrupted," said Kiritsugu taking a sip of tea, placing it on his palm, his friend could easily see him trembling. About as bad as he said it was._

"_Tch. I assume you didn't have me come here for a little talk just to tell me you were dying," Hayakawa smirked._

"_I had a talk with your boss, Kei Karasuma," Hayakawa's smirked disappeared, "He came by and told me of the incident that happened a few weeks back including those cards you found."_

"_He did huh? I'm gonna assume he offered you a job to help take care of them."_

"_Actually he offered me a position as a user for the Rider System BOARD has been developing."_

"_No doubt you didn't take it due to your current condition?" Hayakawa asked worriedly._

"_Actually I considered Shirou for the job in the near future," Kiritsugu said bluntly. "Are you kidding me Emiya? After what that kid went through, he should be having a normal life," Hayakawa argued._

"_I've been training Shirou in a few bits of magecraft, much to my disapproval, so he should be ready by the time the system is operational," Emiya countered, "besides, I've made a few enemies in my life. I don't doubt that they would take it out on Shirou."_

"_Especially those Einsberns, I actually forgot about that," Hayakawa sighed, "What did you train him in?"_

"_Analysis and Reinforcement."_

"_You're kidding me. Five years and that's all you've been teaching him," Hayakawa said incredulously._

"_I can't do much to teach him except a few fundamentals which don't need an example to teach since my magic circuits have been fried. But I made sure he stays safe," the Emiya patriarch says vaguely, "And I want you to keep an eye on him so he doesn't stray from his path."_

"'_Stray from his path'? What is that supposed to mean?" "I got a good look at some of the cards that were saved and despite my disability I can sense the prana radiating off of them. It's old, real old," Kiritsugu speculated._

"_I know, I dated them myself to about 10,000 years. But what is it about these old cards?"_

"_Old magic is sometimes so powerful that they don't decay and they can't be stopped by normal means, they can only be sealed," Kiritsugu explained, "And that's what those cards are, sealed powerful magic. This sort of power can tempt man._

_That's why I want you to promise me to take care of him when I'm gone. Make sure he doesn't give into the temptation of power."_

_*end flashback_*

"Shirou is far from temptation as far as I can see, but dammit Emiya, just what the hell did you do to that kid?"

* * *

Tohsaka Manor

While Archer is keeping watch from the outside the Tohsaka Estate, Rin herself was franticly looking through her books. Her father's library was a mess and her hair disheveled she couldn't find anything, "ARGH, DAMMIT! Nothing, hundreds of books in my father's study and nothing about these damn creatures."

"They have to be Homunculi, but who else besides the Einsberns know how to make Homunculi. They specialize in making artificial humans not these humanoid monsters," its 2 hours well past midnight, and Rin's eyes were starting to tire.

"And that armored warrior, at least he looked human when they removed that armor, but who was he and his accomplices. Do they have something to do with it? They must have something to do with those creatures; otherwise they wouldn't have taken the time to seal it in that card. It's hard to believe that an archaeological company has some dabbling with magic," her eyes strained across the bookshelves and revisiting them, tiring eyes landed on her father's old journal on the desk of her father's study.

'_This may be what I'm looking for,_' *YAWN* "Better go to bed, wouldn't want to mar that perfect student outlook in school now. Archer," Rin called out. Immediately, Archer appeared to her side answering her call, "I'm going to bed now, be sure to watch the place, it may be early, but there may be other servants that have been summoned. Plus with those 'things' out there we can't be sure."

"Of course Master," Archer complied watching his Master walk towards her bedroom.

'_That armored warrior was a kid, more than likely it was 'him'. If his armor is powered by those cards he's been using, then every being like it he defeats will make him stronger. Hopefully he can be taken care of before he gets too strong on his path._'

* * *

I'm gonna try and not plagiarize the whole of both series and kinda make a new path.

So yeah, I'm gonna do something a little different. Few issues from Blade and FSN will be the same, but the ending may change, hell, I may do multiple endings.

Hayakawa's profile is up on my Profile, just so you can get an idea on what he looks like or ignore it and imagine him yourself.

KR Blade fans will know Tachibana and Hajime as cannon for Garren and Chalice.

But as for Blade and Leangle, Shirou as you see is Blade with a slightly different attitude and lifestyle. I'm gonna try and make him less naive about Shinji cause, really, we hate that impotent prick. Leangle is gonna be a FSN character, guess if you want, but it might be kinda obvious.

Also, I had to do a lot of research since I haven't seen or played the visual novels, just the anime and manga of FSN, Fate/Zero and Unlimited Blade Works(see where I got the name, huh). But if I got anything wrong with my information, PM me or review.

And if anyone is an artist out there, can someone please photoshop or draw something that can combine Blade and Fate/Stay just right. This is purely optional, but I'm a suck ass artist, so if no one takes the challenge, I'll just pick up something from the online search results. Put it up on Deviant Art because I got an account on DA, send a PM with the name of the art piece and your DA name if its different from your Author's Name, if you don't like DA, PM me the site with the other stuff I just mentioned.

Until next time

-_Cross177_


	2. Hand 2: Jack, Queen, King, and Two Aces

**Fate/Stay Night:**_  
_

**Undead Blade World  
**

**Hand 2: The Jack, The Queen, The King, And The Two Aces**

* * *

_Tonight was a night that was going to change everything that I know._

_Last night, I had just summoned my servant. While I was aiming at Saber, Archer may as well be my second choice. After all it is one of the three night classes next to Lancer and Saber._

_After getting to 'know' my servant, and by 'know' I mean a vaguely summarized list of my servant's skills and such, Archer sensed an old prana source miles away from my estate to a noisy alarm blaring facility._

_When we arrived we witnessed a battle between some non-human entity, a homunculus of sorts with human and bug aspects, a grasshopper probably, fighting a person in mundane made knight armor._

_Though while the armor was mechanical-looking itself, I figured it needed to be powered. With the mana it was pouring out came from a whole different source that the user of the armor couldn't possibly possess. It was really close to the homunculus' mana signature._

_The fight ended with the knight himself sealing the grasshopper in a card, a card of all things. Apparently that's the source that powers the armor itself._

_When I went back home, I searched my father's extensive library to find anything on these homunculi or these cards. Hopefully my father's journal holds something relevant._

_~ Rin Tohsaka, Owner of Fuyuki, Master of Archer of the 5th Grail War.  
_

* * *

"Hm,… …. … AH!" Shirou yelped, his chest heaving trying to catch his breath. Taking a quick look at his surroundings he found himself back in his bedroom.

The sliding door to his room opened revealing Hayakawa in his doorway giving him a light smile, "Morning Shirou, have a good night?"

"What happened?" Shirou asked.

"Give it a few seconds," Hayakawa said losing his smile.

True enough, memories of last night's events came back to him, "So Tachibana-san really did help destroy BOARD." "Looks like it, but remember that times like this, we have to doubt ourselves, even when the answer is given to us on a silver platter," said the teacher.

"What do you mean by that?" Shirou asked. "We need the whole story, not just what we saw in our own eyes," Kenichi answered, "Everything has a hidden meaning, whether it's through words or actions."

Shirou just looked blankly at the floor beneath him, "So you doubt Tachibana's betrayal," the red-head Rider smiled. "No," the bluntness of Hayakawa answer wiped his smile from his face, "its clear Tachibana has betrayed BOARD. But in the years I've known him, Sakuya has always done things for a reason, and I want to know why he's doing this."

"Sensei?" chirped a soft angelic voice, "Is sempai awake yet?"

"Er," Hayakawa answered nervously, "Yeah, I was just checking on him myself seeing that me and Hirose-san kept him up late."

"Oh, thank you sensei. Is it alright for me to see him?" Sakura asked

Hayakawa throwing a soft smile, "Sure Sakura, I have to talk to Hirose-san anyways and make sure Taiga doesn't pester her too much. Have fun you two."

Leaving Shirou to Sakura, he sees the huge spread Sakura prepared for breakfast by herself with Taiga, enjoying herself to the food like a glutton while Hirose enjoyed her own food at a slower pace.

Looking up from her feast, Taiga spots Hayakawa, "Yo Hayakawa-san, how's Shirou?" "He's fine, just talking to Sakura-san. We got there after the incident occurred so it barely gave him a scratch, he was just winded," the teacher's excuse was sound considering Taiga was worried that Shirou wasn't making breakfast in the morning.

"I understand," it was highly doubtful to the two BOARD employees considering when she saw Hirose coming from the hall, which incidentally was the same direction Shirou's room was in, Taiga was led to believe a very imaginative conclusion of Shirou being a playboy bringing home lots of women at least 10 years older than him.

Again, VERY imaginative.

Luckily Hirose came up with a story that she was a colleague of Shirou's at BOARD (which was true) and the at-work dorms are being fumigated for the time being, so Shirou offered her a room in the estate since he has the extra space to keep more than a few guests. All of the luggage (the Undead detecting software and equipment) the young teen helped unload tired Shirou out, after all he's only human.

"You know Hirose-san, if you need a place to stay, I might know someone who could rent you out a room," Taiga offered taking the BOARD member from the news on the TV mentioning gas leaks again in Shinto, and once again, no one knows what's going on.

"Arigato Fujimura-san, but I wouldn't want to impose on him," said Shiori.

"Ah, he wouldn't mind, besides, he lives by himself so he would love the company," Taiga smiled.

"Hirose-san," Kenichi whispered to Shiori whilst Taiga enjoys herself some natto, "It might be a good idea to have a separate base of operations. Besides, Taiga doesn't know what Shirou 'does' at BOARD and would like to keep it that way."

"You sure? I'd think that staying here would be better since we'd be in close contact with Shirou," Hirose countered. "Positive," Hayakawa nodded, "Sakura and Taiga are usually here every day. When the bells start ringing, they'll start asking what's going on. They might be in the dark about what Shirou does but they aren't ignorant or stupid."

"So Shiori-san, what do you say?" Taiga asks referring to her previous question. "I accept, but I would like to set some conditions when I stay there though," Hirose answers.

"I'm sure he won't mind," Taiga replies.

The sliding door opens revealing Shirou with Sakura in tow, "Morning everyone. Sorry I'm late." "It's okay Shirou, just sit down and enjoy what food Fujimura-san didn't devour yet," Hayakawa offered.

"HEY!" Taiga snapped at Hayakawa's joke. Everyone got a laugh; it almost felt nice to laugh like that after what happened concerning the three BOARD members.

After breakfast Taiga and Hayakawa left for school, more like the BOARD teacher dragging her along so for once she would be on time to her homeroom. Shirou and Sakura was just preparing to leave as well after taking care of the dishes, "Hirose-san, make yourself at home here. I'm usually back a few hours after school ends helping out the different clubs when I can."

Hirose nods in confirmation, "Oh Shirou, I almost forgot." Hirose held him back into the house from Sakura's vision, "I'll be looking through the video files and check what happened." "I do hope for the best," Shirou said sadly. "Same here," Hirose replied in the same tone.

"Emiya-kun, we're gonna be late," Sakura calls out from the gate.

"Ah, I'm coming Sakura-san."

Shiori smiled as she watched the two teens on their way to school and noticed the closeness between the two, _'Those two are almost like brother and sister.'_

* * *

**Second Chome**_  
_

On the way to the intersection, they hear police sirens. Probably another murder incident, '_It's sad to think about these incidents as a normal thing lately, but when they've been going on for the last few weeks, it's kind of hard not to. The unfortunate thing is that we don't know who or what is doing them so we can't do anything until it happens to us._'

"Hajime-san!" Shirou hears Sakura exclaim. In the same street ahead of them was Aikawa riding on the same route. Hearing his name called out, he turns around and finds Sakura with Shirou, "I see you're accompanying her this time, Emiya-san."

"No emergency calls this time," Shirou smirked.

The rest of the way, Sakura and Shirou talked while Hajime hopped off leading his bike as he listened passively while they walked.

* * *

**Homurahara**

When the three got to school, Aikawa held Shirou back while Sakura made her way to the archery club.

"What do you know of Sakura's brother Shinji?" "Outside that he's an ass to everyone and verbally abuses Sakura, not really much else," Shirou answered as he rolled his eyes, '_Always something with Shinji_.'

"Few days ago I gave Sakura a ride back to her house after hours at the Jacaranda," '_The Jacaranda, that's the café a few miles from the school,'_ Shrou recalls, "The Matou Estate right?"

"Yes, after dropping her off I swore I felt something following me. I would say it was Shinji trying to intimidate me, but he doesn't have the spine to do so. I'm just wondering if he has the means of hired help," Hajime inquired.

"Doubt it, but then again he has his Grandfather who probably has his own security. The Matous aren't the richest people in the city but it looks like they could get their own security probably. Never actually seen them need it, but with all these murders…" said Shirou.

"I see. But all that time you've known Sakura and Shinji, you haven't felt anything suspicious around their home?" Hajime asked.

"Not really, I haven't been around that area for a while so I wouldn't know," Shirou answered. '_Though it might be worth investigating later. But for now…_'

"I got to meet Issei-san right now Aikawa-san, talk to you later," Shirou waved leaving Hajime to his thoughts.

"I always appreciate your help Shirou, especially with your busy schedule," Issei commented. "Don't worry about it Issei-san, my schedule is going to be a lot less busy at the moment," Shirou smirked as he rummages around the tool box in front of him to fix the old heater beside him.

Right now Issei was going over inventory and school club budgets, "So Shirou, think you can fix the thing." "If it's the wires and they short circuited, if we replace them it'll probably last through the winter," Shirou surmised.

Issei smirked, "You're very good Emiya. I am very pleased I can count on you." "Issei, you talk weird sometimes you know that," Shirou quipped, "But, could you step out a bit? I need some concentration."

"Ah, that delicate procedure you usually have for this sort of thing," Issei remarked as he stepped outside to let Shirou do his thing.

'_Okay, now to see what's wrong this thing,_' Channeling his od, he placed his palm towards the heater and analyzed the device in his head using his tracing. '_Hmm, it still works but it looks like the two of the heat lines are disconnected. And the cord can easily be fixed with some friction tape._'

"Shouldn't take too long," Shirou said to himself as he went to his toolbox grabbing a wrench. But as he was about to use the tool to the first nut, he froze, "Tachibana-san…"

"Shirou," his attention was torn away from his lamentations when he sees Hayakawa at the door. "I got a call from Hirose about Tachibana. It doesn't sound good."

Hayakawa and Shirou walked side to side discussing Hirose's new found information. "So Tachibana really did it, didn't he?" Shirou asked sadly. "It appears so, Hirose told me that the video file showed Tachibana as Garren knocking out the president," the teacher answered.

Shirou just sighed, "There has to be an explanation." "There's no evidence outside the security tapes to say otherwise." Shirou shook his head, "Kenichi, I worked with and trained under Tachibana for a few years now. We had a trust and he had friends in BOARD. Why would he all of a sudden betray us? And you said it yourself; Tachibana never does things without reason. We shouldn't just trust what our eyes see or what our ears hear. Are you going to be a hypocrite after what you said this morning?"

They both stared each other in the eye and stood in silence ignoring the students passing them.

Then the school bell chimed.

"Sorry Hayakawa-sensei, but I got to go."

Hayakawa sighed making his way to his classroom for homeroom, '_Maybe he's right. But without contradictory evidence, can't really say anything else. Maybe the medical division has something on Tachibana._'

* * *

Rin sat in her usual corner in the back of her classroom staring outside thinking about the battle between man and monster. Saving her father's diary, she decided to go to the students about those warriors considering they were the talk of the school at one point.

From what she gathered these armored warriors were called Kamen Riders, defenders of justice, '_Sounds so kiddy. Like something from a Saturday morning show I used to watch with Kotone. I think it was called… Sentai or something._'

She heard the door open as she watched her teacher, Mr. Hayakawa, come in and take roll call.

'_Blade, that's what that guy in black called him. I'll have to keep that in mind after I take care of this War._'

* * *

"Sorry Issei, I got called in by one of the teachers about my classes," Shirou explained as the two ate lunch. "It's okay Shirou, you usually come through in the end. I can tell something must have happened," said Issei taking a potato into his chopsticks. "Really?" Shirou questioned quirking an eyebrow.

"Shirou, I've been raised in a monastery. We've been trained to read a person by their body language," Issei smirked biting into his potato.

"You know Issei, no offense but you have a pretty boring bento," Shirou commented pushing away the topic and comparing the two lunches in front of the two. "It's my father's taste in which I've grown accustomed to," Issei replied pouring himself a cup of tea.

"I can relate," Shirou laughed pouring his own cup as well.

"Anyways Shirou, did you hear about what happened this morning in the 2nd Chome?"

This turned Shirou's mood, "Yeah, I saw the police heading in that area on my way here. You know what happened?"

"Homicide."

'_Once more from the mysterious murderer,_' Shirou thought to himself.

"It was a family of four. The murder weapon they suspect is supposedly long in length. Something along the lines of a katana or a spear."

"They don't have a clue on the identity of the killer do they?"

"Nope," Issei denied sipping his tea calmly, "And another set of murders happened around the hiker trails on the outskirts of town. More than likely a different murderer since these had their throats slashed out after they were strangled."

"Was there a description on any of them?" Shirou asked, "No survivors or a witness for the family; but the group at the trails, only one survivor was there. He was probably delusional when he gave the killer's description; it was supposed to be some demon made of thorns killing anyone it could."

Issei sighed in disbelief, "It's amazing how in such a short time there were counts of numerous gas leaks in Shinto, murderers brandishing swords and slashing throats, and now school curfews are even cutting short."

The groan of the chair dragging along the tile grabbed Issei's attention. He sees Shirou packing up his bento with a dark look on his face with his hair shadowing his eyes. "Shirou, you okay?" the monk in-training asked concerned.

"No, just remembering some bad things from the past," at the back of his head, the Fire flickered behind his head. Flashes of the fire and the burnt corpses, "Sorry Issei, but I got to get home."

* * *

"Thank you Hajime-kun for taking me back home," Sakura thanked as she hopped off the dirt bike. "I've been hearing about the latest murders. Just wanted to make sure you're okay," said Hajime flicking up the visor on his helmet.

"What about you Hajime-kun? It's not just the murderer but also those monsters people have been talking about," Sakura said worriedly.

"I'll be alright. I promised you I'd get you here and I did," said Aikawa.

"Okay, but there's also um…ano," "Hmm, is there someone giving you problems?"

"Well," Sakura began, "Sometimes I would see this person when I'm coming home. The way he smiles gives me this unsettling feeling."

"What does he look like?"

"Um…He was a blond, good-looking person. He actually looked like a model, you'd be surprised if you see him yourself," Sakura blushed recalling this mysterious person's details.

"Has anyone moved here recently?" Aikawa asked, further pressing for more information.

"No, that's why I thought it was strange," answered Sakura.

Aikawa flicked down his visor and revved his engine, "Have you told Emiya-san of this?" Sakrua shook her head. "Call me or the Jacaranda if you don't feel comfortable here, Haruka-san will take you in even if I'm not there," Hajime reassured causing Sakura to smile.

* * *

Without another word Hajime rode off into the darkness while Sakura crossed her fingers and prayed, "Hajime-kun, be careful."

Shirou definitely had undeniable truth, the video files from the President's office showed Tachibana as Garren knocking out President Karasuma and hefting him out of the building through the window as swarms of locusts come in and filling the office. And the rest the BOARD workers knew already.

"I'm sorry Emiya-kun, but…" Hirose whimpered as tears fell across her cheeks feeling the sting of betrayal. "No," Shirou muttered, "there has to be more to this. There has to be a reason…"

"I don't want to hear his reason!" Hirose cried her sobbing overpowering the news lady talking on the television showing the scene at the power plant with several victims. Both turned as they saw the pictures of several bloody corpses with their necks slashed out or holes that stabbed through where the heart was.

Shirou sighed gritting his teeth, "You know, not once did I think BOARD was anything more than a company out to help people," the Rider said as Hirose's sobs soften, "Hirose-san, you're my sempai, do you have even a remote idea of what BOARD was doing? Where the Undead came from? Was everything BOARD was about a huge lie?"

Hirose didn't say anything wiping her tears, from her facial expressions either she knew but couldn't say anything, or she was as ignorant and naive as he was about BOARD.

It was a depressing atmosphere until they heard some crashing at the door. Shirou inwardly sighed, '_10 to 1 says its Fuji-nee bum rushing her way through the door._'

"Is Fujimura-san like this all the time?" Shirou sighed as he answered honestly, "Yeah, and amazingly enough she's my guardian."

"And what made her fit to be as such?" "Outside of being the grand-daughter of the Oyabun of the yakuza gang in this area," Hirose just blinked in shock at the school teacher's criminal bloodline, "My father was her mentor and inspired her to be an English teacher after she got her degree. We were all close; me and Fuji-nee became even closer after Dad's death to the point of siblings."

"I-I didn't know Shirou-kun. I'm sorry," Hirose apologized.

"Shirou! I'm hungry!" Fujimura cried out from the hallway.

"Hai, hai, I'll make you something," Shirou called back.

"Make extra food; I brought a friend to talk to Hirose-chan about her living arrangements!"

"Alright!"

"Shirou-kun, it's alright, you don't need to make me anything." "Nonsense Hirose-san, you're the guest and I'm the host. Besides, I like cooking, especially for friends," Shirou explained.

Hirose was going to continue arguing, but one look from the resident Rider halted any further arguments before he walked to the kitchen.

"Yo Hirose-chan!"

Shirou didn't need to turn around as he heard Taiga's loud enthusiastic voice as she entered the estate with a second pair of footsteps, more than likely her friend offering Hirose a place to live in.

"Hey, you wouldn't mind if I grabbed a glass of milk would you," Fuji-nee's 'guest' asked.

"Sure, the glasses are next to the fridge…" Shirou's voice died down seeing who his guest was. Even if the man was dressed like a civilian, he stilled recognized his face and shaggy hair. His guest was none other than the science non-fiction writer Kotaro Shirai staring him down with as much silent shock as Shirou was.

"EHHHHHHH!?"

* * *

**Highway Outskirts**

Hajime was making his way to the Jacaranda after he dropped off Sakura. But ever since he left the Matou mansion, he had this nagging sensation that he was being followed.

"Hm?"

Correction, make that two sensations.

"Undead,"

Without even slowing down, he pulled out the Ace of Hearts Change Mantis and a silver and ruby heart crested buckle, the Chalice Rouser that materialized from black and silver whisps around his waist. Sliding the card through the rouser,

"Henshin!"

'**CHANGE**'

His body was covered in a translucent black shroud as specks of his person started flying off of him with the shroud affecting his Honda XR250 as well.

And soon the body changed into the black, gold and ruby armored warrior.

The Mantis of Hearts Rider, the enigmatic Kamen Rider Chalice.

The bike's body had changed as well from that of a Honda dirt bike to the black, red and gold decaled Shadow Chaser.

Following his senses, he takes the opposite turn in the fork towards Ryuudouji to follow the call of battle against Undead.

Following him meters away, a purple leather-clad biker followed close by on a violet motorcycle as purple silk-like hair flowed from the figure's helmet.

* * *

**Ryuudouji**

The Ryuudouji Temple for the most part was empty save for the monks that reside there. Outside the gates was one Issei Ryuudou walked up the steps towards the Temple his mind on today's chores.

In the forest surrounding the ascending trail, a beastly being growled, thorny brambles surrounded its body and neck making up its entire right hand, another characteristic to itself was that its legs and forearms were covered in thorns and ivy. Upon its waist an ancient looking belt holding a rough carving of a red heart.

It stalked its prey like a predator poising its vines of thorns to strike and ensnare.

All the while Issei kept walking listening to the various sounds of nature, if there were any. Since he got here he felt a disturbance and not the same disturbance he felt with Kuzuki's so called "wife" or Tohsaka. He's always had a high level of a sixth sense usually that had led to evil spirits he helped his father and his brother exorcize, one of the reasons why he doesn't trust that Tohsaka girl or "Mrs. Kuzuki".

But this one felt different, a high level of malicious killing intent to that of an actual demon, and it was coming from right…

"THERE!"

He dove to the stone floor as five thorny vines zipped above him from the bushes piercing into the oak tree behind him spying the bark turning purple, the vines filled with poison. Picking himself up and regaining his composure he readied himself for combat, "Show yourself demon!"

The vines retracted back to they're source felling the tree into a splintered stump and out came the Plant Undead. "It seems that you match the description, and I doubt a being as powerful as you can be banished by a simple exorcism," the creature had hissed as it leapt at Issei barely escaping the creature's wrath.

Seeing its attention was toward him, Issei used that fact to lure it away from the Temple and further into his home's forest lest it feeds on more victims being Kuzuki-sensei, his "wife", and the monk-in-training's brothers.

He led it along for several minutes before he noticed he lost the creature. "Where is it? Did it go back towards the Temple?" His spine still shivered as he felt the evil spirit's malevolence. Spying a loose thick branch from a felled log, he grabs it and twists it around breaking it free from its confines making a makeshift kanabo.

*HISSSS!*

The monstrous hiss tipped the in-training monk of its incoming attack, side-stepping the attack of vines that crashed and dug into the earth. It jumped down from the trees retracting the vines back attempting to perform and aerial clothesline into the ground.

Seeing no way out of it, he took his weapon in hand and prepared his guard against it.

Suddenly a blur of black and red zoomed in and tackled the malevolent beast blowing Issei away on his back from the force of it. Recovering from the knockback, he sees an unbelievable event. One of the urban legends the student body has been gossiping about, a Kamen Rider, responsible for banishing those beasts.

Chalice was able to tackle the Plant Undead before it harmed the monk. He recognized the student that was usually with Shirou, Issei Ryuudou. But for the life of him, he didn't know why he acted like he did. Chalice had more of a chance to defeat the Undead after it killed the student, so why didn't he?

That was another question for later, the Undead was recovering from its knockdown. The Plant Undead charged swinging its arm of vines in wide arcs. Materializing around his arm in a translucent dark shroud, it formed into that of a composite bow with its arms akin to that of razor sharp blades, the Chalice Arrow.

Extending the blades out fully Chalice parried the incoming vines chopping off bits and pieces. Once it got close enough, Chalice parried the arm away once more before he kicked it back down.

Issei was in awe at the battle before him, he couldn't look away and be jealous of this warrior's skill and strength. Strength he wished he possessed at times, the strength his brother and his father had. Looking down he found the creature's vines snaking down the trail towards his feet.

He gasped frozen in place as the thorny appendages shot up and aimed straight at his heart.

Sensing danger towards Issei, Chalice dives into the monk in-training protecting him from harm. It slashes into the Rider with a deep gash drawing up green bodily fluids flying from his wounds and onto the forest trees.

Issei, out of his frozen shock, notices the bleeding coming from Chalice's wounds, "You're hurt."

"I'm fine," Chalice grunted getting off of him calling back his weapon, "I'll heal. Get out of here now lest it still keep coming after you. I can't keep protecting you."

The monk understood the logic, so long as he's here, the Heart crested Rider would shield himself in front of him. He ran back towards the Ryuudou Temple to warn the others of this creature and possibly others like it.

"**You protect that pathetic human. Why?**" The Undead hissed at Chalice. "**None of your business. Even I don't know why I did it. But he's gone and it's just you and me,**" Chalice replied in the same native tongue.

"**No one gets in the way of my prey!**" The Plant Undead roared shooting its vines at Chalice once more. Likewise, the Rider retaliated with the Chalice Arrow at hand as the vines wrapped itself onto the weapon yanking it out of his hands before throwing a left hook into Chalice's head. Swinging its thorn covered fist back, Chalice barely dodged the offending arm.

The Plant Undead swung its right arm towards Chalice while the Rider backed up to increase the distance between the two. It's right arm was flailing wildly at the Rider one strike aimed at his right shoulder, it slashed into the tree behind him soaking the wood with poison as the tree's wounds in itself turned purple before spreading into the whole tree itself as it fell and rotted away.

"**DIE!**"

Chalice brings back the Chalice Arrow extended at hand and blocked an overhead strike. Pushing away its thorny appendages, Chalice threw an upward swing into its chest.

Unable to block Chalice's attack, the critical slash drew copious amounts of neon green blood.

But he didn't stop there; Chalice continued his assault with spiraling body movements and swings of his weapon slashing the Undead, opening many wounds on its person. One last spin, it brought his extended arm holding his Chalice Arrow with extra centrifugal force and slashed its throat sending the Undead flying and tumbling along the earth.

As it tried its damnedest to get back on its feet holding its bleeding throat, Chalice took his Rouser from its buckle and attached it in the gaps between the bases of the blades on the bow. Opening the card box on his side, he pulled out the Category 6 of Hearts Tornado Hawk and slid it through the Rouser.

'**TORNADO**'

The power of the tornado imbued into the bow accumulated as Chalice pulled back the switch on the weapon while the Plant Undead propped itself onto the tree behind it. He aimed dead center at the Undead while the Undead made a last desperation move at Chalice throwing the poisoned vines at him.

The tactic proved futile as the Tornado arrow tore past the offending appendages and into the Undead smashing the Plant hard into the oak tree. With the accumulated damage between the exchanges of blows, the heart carved stone buckle opened up flashing the number 7 carved into the stone.

Pulling out a SEAL card, he threw it into the beast and absorbed its body and power into the card.

And so the Category 7 of Hearts Bio Plant is sealed once more.

* * *

**Emiya Estates**

"So, you and Taiga-chan know each other?"

After the shock of surprise between the writer and the Rider, dinner became a little awkward. While Taiga stuffed her face with food as usual and Kotaro nodded in affirmation as he went to enjoy the resident chef's food with the same if somewhat downplayed enthusiasm, Shirou and Hirose excused themselves to the Hirose's room after eating their fair share. Currently, they were conversing as to what happened in the kitchen.

"So he knows?" Hirose asked.

"Yeah. It was from yesterday when Tachibana-san and I went after the Bat Undead. He happened to stumble upon the fight. The guy is a science non-fiction writer trying to get a story on the Kamen Riders. He's really persistent about it too," Shirou explained remember his efforts just to get his bike started just to get away from the guy.

"This might work out for the best then," said Hirose.

"How so?"

"This way I won't have to be stepping on eggshells when one of the Undead alerts go off with some half-assed excuse."

"True. Speaking of which, I heard there was another set of murders around the plant. Their method of killing seemed strange if not overkill, strangulation before slashing out their victim's throats."

"I saw that on the news while I was setting up the Undead program again. The last alert when I got it back up again was about two hours ago near Ryuudouji Temple," Hirose explained.

"If you didn't call me then I assume Garren must have got it," Shirou assumed bringing his thoughts towards the rogue Rider, but the operator invalidated his assumption with head shake of denial.

"Actually it was our unknown Rider friend, Chalice,"

"Chalice," Shirou was familiar with this one.

He and Chalice had bumped heads when an alert went off on a Heart Category Undead. As per usual, Shirou as Blade attempted to make friends with him and hopefully as a comrade.

_~flashback~_

_Sparks flew as Chalice swung his extended Chalice Arrow like a spinning pendulum as he struck Blade repeatedly._

_Blade offered a partnership between himself, Garren, and Chalice as a sign of friendship and a mutual benefit to seal the Undead back._

_But negotiations were not as hopeful Shirou had hoped. Despite Chalice's rough and mysterious nature , and the fact Blade knew next to nothing of the mysterious Rider of Hearts, seeing him defend a small girl against the Eagle Undead, Category 6 of Hearts._

_Watching his actions, the Rider seemed cold and ruthless in his actions, but he tried his damnedest to protect her from the various wind blasts the Category 6 was shooting._

_Maybe the Chalice wanted to work alone and he wasn't afraid to cut anyone down from sealing the other Undead for himself. Shirou didn't care as he laid there, muscles aching and in pain, Chalice had a good side to his ruthless nature._

_After all, the Rider spared him when he was vulnerable._

_~end flashback~_

Shirou chuckled softly at the memory, '_Not one of my better moments, but I still stand by my point._'

"Shirou-san, I know you think he's a potential ally, but we have no clue on who he is or what his motives are," Hirose explained.

"Shirou-kun! Where are you?!" Said teen sighed at the childish teacher's calls, "Fuji-nee must have run out of food."

"You put out enough food for a whole wedding buffet, how you know she's not just full from all the food she ate?"

"Eh, you're still hungry Taiga? But you cleared out half-the table and that would have fed three," Kotaro asked in surprise.

"Shirou! Make some dessert!" Taiga demanded.

Shirou sighed making his way towards the kitchen, "See what I mean?" Hirose just stared dumbly at the redhead, in the few years she's known him; she never talked to him about his civilian life. The older woman chuckled finally seeing the somewhat hectic life he has in this house.

* * *

**The next day**

The morning went as usual. Seeing how late it was, Kotaro stayed over until the morning before taking Hirose over to his place in the country side, but not before leaving Shirou a new phone, '_The phone has a new Undead Alert application for future attacks in the area._' "Arigatou, Hirose-san."

He didn't see Sakura in the morning when Taiga came for breakfast, but that wasn't unusual. She sometimes got a ride from Hajime in the morning. Shinji usually isn't too happy with that and tries to scold Sakura with his usual verbal abuse, but fear of the mysterious boy and the fact he can't take a punch sort of prevents him from confronting the man.

Speaking of the happy couple, he spies Aikawa and Sakura at the gates speaking with Mitsuzuri from the Archery Club Taiga is responsible for. She spies Shirou arriving from the side, "Ohayo Shirou."

"Yo Mitsuzuri, what are you guys talking about?" Shirou greeted.

"Just asking Hajime-kun over here if he wanted to join the Archery Club considering he trained Sakura here how to shoot a bow. I was just asking why he hasn't joined already if he was good enough to make Sakura one of the top archers in the club next to me," the club captain said.

"I have responsibilities at the Jacaranda. Especially since they provide my room and board," Hajime explained.

"But Hajime-kun," Sakura interjected, "you're really good with the bow. You'd make a great teacher to some of the newcomers."

Aikawa pondered for a moment going over Sakura's words, "I'll think about it. But I'm not making any promises. Let's get going Sakura."

"Hai Hajime-kun, sempai," Sakura bowed before following Hajime to their classroom.

As they left, Mitsuzuri's expression turned to that of slight disdain, "I really do hope Hajime-san does join." "Why?" Shirou inquired.

"Shinji."

"Causing hell again?"

"That boy has been going overboard lately," the captain summed up as they head inside the school building. "He thinks too highly of himself," said Shirou but Mitsuzuri just quirks an eyebrow at him, "That's pretty much the understatement of the century. The second I take my eyes off of him he starts doing whatever he wants. He's been humiliating some of the beginner archers, tripping them up until they were able to hit a target."

At the shoe lockers, Shirou puts in his own two cents in the situation. "Yeah sounds like him. He keeps on giving me crap about quitting the club few years back every so often. But being captain of the club, can't you just demote him and give the job to someone obviously better or better yet, get Fujimura-sensei's permission to kick him out?" Shirou suggested.

"Trust me, I'd rather do both. But some of the other guys don't want to catch even more hell from him later, and I'd hate to say it, for me to be able to kick him out, I'd need to catch him in the act. None of them are willing to squeal and I have no time be around the dojo to catch him in the act," Mitsuzuri explained, "pissing me off to no end. And what's worse, he just runs off whenever I confront him about it."

"Knowing Shinji since we were kids, all he's got on him is his money, pride, and his sharp tongue. Though that 'sharp' tongue of his is getting pretty dull from overuse over the past year since Hijime-san arrived." "I agree," Mitsuzuri nodded, "Which is why I want him in the club so bad. If he could boost Sakura's confidence up as much as it has since last year, think of the good he could do for the club."

"So what got Shinji on the humiliation spree again?" Shirou asked out of curiosity. "From what I heard from the other students, he got flat out rejected by Rin Tohsaka."

"T-tohsaka?" Shirou choked, choking that turned to almost hysterical chuckling. From what he knew of her, outside of the overview he had of her and in terms of relationships, was that she rejects any guy that tries to ask her out. Taking Shinji's subtle reputation and obvious characteristic as a womanizer plus Tohsaka's reputation against the male populous, the answer was obvious. The Matou heir was shot down by the Tohsaka heiress, harshly, taking a huge blow at his pride.

* * *

**Later**

Shirou sat down at his seat waiting for the class bell to ring unpacking his school supplies in peace; that was until Shinji came by. "Yo Emiya," the smug voice of one Shinji Matou called out.

Masking his irritation at the former childhood friend, "Hey Shinji, how's archery practice going?"

Shinji didn't even bother masking his smugness, "Heh, why would you want to know? You're just an archery club drop out. We're doing great since I'm there." God he just wanted to go Blade and just shut him the hell up, '_I swear if the smug was a pollutant, Shinji would be suspect No.1 in causing a global epidemic._'

"I see. Hey, if you need help, I'll be happy to take time off my busy schedule to help out. You weren't that great in stringing the bowstrings or fixing the bows themselves, doubt you got better at it since I was gone," the last statement chipped a bit of Shinji's barely lingering pride off of Shinji's smug face.

"Of course, because unlike you, I have no interest in chores such as those," Shinji replied ignoring the jab. '_Yeah, because you didn't even bother to learn, not to mention you're a lazy bastard,_' thought the red haired teen.

Before Shirou could say anything, the school bell rang its usual chime, "Better get to class, despite whom your family is, they won't give you any exceptions on tardiness." Shinji simply snorted making his way to class.

And not too soon, Taiga stumbled her way into the classroom. Shirou let out a sigh of relief, '_Finally, I swear one of these days._'

Meanwhile in Hayakawa's homeroom, Rin flipped through her father's notebook while the class rep called for roll call, she didn't pay attention though because she already knew most of the stuff they're covering, and not to mention the Hayakawa wasn't even here, he sent a substitute to take over. So far her father hasn't even said anything about that creature during that incident when she summoned Archer for the War.

And it didn't help there was a nagging pull at the back of her head, even the slight warmth on the back of her hand didn't help either, that usually meant, "Archer," Rin muttered silently, "You feel that right? The enemy is nearby watching this school.""_Yeah,_" Archer said in his astral form, a fun fact about a servant being in astral form, only she could hear the Heroic Spirit's words, "_It doesn't seem like he'll start attacking anytime soon. He seems to be biding his time, waiting for his chance to strike._"

On the rooftop after class, Rin contemplated her battle plan with Archer, "We'll stay back until nightfall. By then no one should be here."

Nearly sunset and Shirou just got finished helping Issei with one of the school televisions. With his bag in tow, he made his way to the front gate passing by the Archery Club. Unfortunately running into Shinji in the process with his flock of girls, though the number seemed to have dwindled by half than it usually was, wasn't enough to get a few girls with him, "Still here Emiya?" '_Great,_' thought Shirou. "I see you're still screwing around here Emiya."

"What you call screwing around, I call helping. Issei needed help with the electronic equipment again," Shriou explained.

"Ah, the student government ass-kisser," Shinji said cutely getting a few giggles from the girls, "By the way, mind helping out with our chores too? I'm so busy and it just gets pretty messy in there."

"Matou-sempai, didn't Fujimura-sensei tell you to do it?" one of the girls asked.

"But if we do, the store will close. Why not let the Fake janitor here do it?"

'_The Fake Janitor, an accurate nickname for me considering all the help I do around the school when the Undead don't start attacking._'

"Sure, I'll do it. I'm pretty free for the moment."

"Then it's settled. Let's go girls," Shinji announced escorting his groupies out.

But Shirou decided to have the last laugh, "Hey Shinji, I heard Mitsuzuri asked Hajime to join the club. Did he show up?"

Hajime Aikawa, now that was a man that pissed him off to no end. Especially that shiner he gave him for trying to put Sakura in her place for going to Shirou's that one day. "Actually he did," one of the girls answered.

If this was Sakura trying to talk, he would have waited to when Shirou was out of ear sight to discipline her from talking about that guy. But he would have to endure in this case as one of his girls started talking.

_*flashback*_

_Hajime Aikawa showed up to the Archery Dojo with Sakura pulling him in tow._

"_Ah Hajime-san, you made it," Mitsuzuri said with relief. "Sakura-chan convinced me," Hajime simply answered._

"_Ano, Mitsuzuri-sempai wanted to see your archery skills," the Matou girl replied with a blush._

"_Well, let's see your archery skills match mine," Shinji said with a cocky tone in his voice. The boys and girls murmured amongst each other at the prospect of the blatant challenge at the new comer._

_Taking a quiver on one of the haystacks, Shinji announced the rules, "5 arrows, the one with the most cumulative distance from the bull's-eye is the loser." Hajime didn't object as he nodded at the terms of conditions._

_Shinji went first as he fired his five shots. The target mapping was average hitting slightly off the center barrier with only one arrow hitting midway from the bull's-eye. _

_Next be Hajime's turn, and what happened next was to say the least jaw dropping. First arrow fired off slid right dead center of the bull's-eye. Second shot was adjacent to the arrow at the center as well as the third._

_Shinji was sweating bullets, the Archery Dojo was his territory, no matter what that bitch Mitsuzuri says. Who cares if she's the Archery Club captain? That can be taken care of in an instant, he was the Matou heir dammit. And he wasn't about to let this new comer upstage him._

_Taking his bow, he 'accidently' drops it on Hajime's leg forcing him to shoot up last minute. Mitsuzuri started mouthing off at Shinji, but he feigned ignorance. But Aikawa didn't falter; in fact, he took his last arrow and shot it up at the 4__th__ arrow flying off course._

_It knocked the previous arrow's trajectory down to earth, aiming straight at the target board hitting dead center at an awkward angle. And to add insult to injury, the last arrow, in true Robin Hood fashion, came down as well splitting the fourth arrow in two._

_Everyone was speechless, he just hit bull's-eye five times in a row, despite Shinji's interference with the last two._

_And Shinji, he just tightened his teeth and started grinding them like there was no tomorrow, he might have chipped a tooth in the process. Shinji wasn't going to stand for this, oh no, Hajime Aikawa is a dead man._

_*end flashback*_

Shirou snickered as he turned his back from the visibly flushed Matou heir as he went to the Archery Club's mess. To finally hear Shinji knocked down a peg, and by Hajime no less, it was worth it, '_I guess wishes do come true eh Mitsuzuri?_'

* * *

**Sundown at Homurahara**

Shirou was still at the Archery Dojo taking the last clean-up running the cleaning rag across the dojo floor till it was spick and span, '_All in a day's work for the Fake Janitor_.'

Meanwhile Rin Tohsaka sat on the school rooftop napping and saving her strength till Archer signals her. And just in the nick of time, _"He's coming. It seems he was waiting till sunset too and will be striking soon."_

As Rin got up, she could feel how off the air was, she could feel it in her bones, "This killing intent."

"Yo!"

The sudden call jerked her head up to the moon. Silhouetting the moon light, a blue clad warrior holding a blood red spear was identified, "Beautiful night, isn't it?"

"Lancer," Rin identified

"Of course, your friend there would agree with me right?" said Lancer seeing Archer's astral form in front of his Master, "And of course, you both know that I'm your enemy!"

Lancer leaped from his perch on the fence as Rin bolted from her position to the stairway. Reaching the railing, she hopped off trusting her Servant to help her landing. The trust was well placed as her descent slowed millimeters away from the ground.

"Archer, his weapon is a lance. Let's try to move the battlefield to our advantage."

Shirou was taking the cleaning supplies to the closet when he heard a loud explosion. He doubted it was an actual gas explosion, and his phone didn't go off all day, "The hell is going on?"

Rushing outside he stopped at the chain link fence of the school baseball field introduced to a peculiar sight. A tanned white-haired man in red wielding two black and white falchion swords that seemed to be akin to yin and yang, fending off another individual, clad in blue all but in skin tone, furiously in battle happy glee attacking the individual in red with a blood red spear.

'_A spear, the killings! Issei said they were killed with a long range weapon,_' Shirou realized looking at the crimson spear in the attacker's hand, '_akin to a katana or..a…spear_,' "He's the one," Shirou muttered.

"Who's there?!" the spear wielder exclaimed, obviously he heard our hero. And finding out that he's been discovered, he ran back into the dojo to grab his bag, '_I need to get the BlayBuckle, otherwise I won't stand a chance_.'

Lancer seeing his new prey, according to the rules of this War he set out to silence any outsiders who happen to stumble upon the Grail War. And he knew only one way to do so, kill and neutralize the target.

"Dammit," Rin berated herself, "Someone was still here?"

Shirou was able to grab the Rouser, jumping out the dojo window in case the spear wielding warrior followed him directly. He knew his way around battling against various weapons due to his training, long range weapons like a spear or a halberd needed room to swing leaving attacking options limited to stabs and short swipes in any direction.

And what better place to limit a spearman's attack than a school hallway.

Making his way to the second floor, Shirou was slowed his pace near one of the lowerclassmen classrooms. He stayed in the middle of the hallway awaiting the blue clad spearman keeping an eye out in both directions, "Come on out, I want to know why you murdered those people this morning!"

"Yo!"

Hearing the man behind him, Shirou acted quickly and hopped away keeping his distance from this enemy. Obviously he wasn't human; a normal human would have had to take as long as he did to follow him from the dojo to the second floor of the school. So he was either waiting for him in the school or this guy was extremely fast.

"You didn't answer my question. Why did you kill them?" Shirou asked again. But the blue man just smirked, "I don't make a habit of answering to dead men. And I'm afraid you were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Is that why you killed them? The family saw some fight to the death in their front yard?" Shirou snarled preparing to grab the Rouse card in his pocket.

"That is an entirely different matter; let's just leave it at that. Just prepare to die like a good little boy," the lancer prepared for a thrust, taking careful aim to his heart.

But Shirou had a trick up his sleeve. Or rather his pocket.

Taking his Rouse card and the BlayBuckle at hand, he slipped the card into the buckle. The red cards shuffled out of the buckle into a belt, chiming a ready signal with his hand on the latch.

The peculiar pose caught Lancer's interest, "Oh, trying to look good when you die. Don't think I'm going to give you any mercy just by looking cool."

"Trust me, there's more than just a cool pose here."

"Don't think I'm gonna let you do whatever it is you're trying to do!" Lancer charged in, aiming for a powerful thrust, true to his target's heart.

"HENSHIN!"

**TURN-UP**

"What!?"

Only inches away from Shirou's heart, the spear had collided with a blue field depicting an image of a beetle with a spade on its carapace. The spearman struggled against the field as crackles of electricity erupted from the shield and spear like sparks. But the magic in the Rouse Card was too powerful against this warrior's weapon.

Upon losing the clash the spearman was rebounded away from Shirou in shock of what just happened, "Dammit, what the hell was that?"

"RAAAAAGH!"

The battle-cry alerted Lancer seeing the kid run straight through the field, instantly equipping the red-head in blue and silver armor.

Shirou drew the BlayRouser from its holster on his side and swung low and wide. Spearhead down, Lancer met the incoming attack with a short low swing of his own and followed blocking an overhead attack against Blade's sword with a two-handed horizontal block with his spear. Left, right, high and low metal upon metal clashed together in a seemingly endless parry.

Lancer blocked effortlessly impressed that this kid wasn't allowing for any retaliation from himself. But despite his limited weapon movement, Lancer knew the armored teen couldn't keep this up forever. Once he slipped up, one thrust from his spear through the armor and the kid's heart and he'll be able to leave happy and somewhat satisfied.

And there it was, the armored knight-like warrior pulled his distance away from Lancer to turn his sword over. The blue-clad spear wielder didn't wait for him to finish his activity and sped in for a thrust, once more aiming for Shirou's armored heart.

Outside the school, the Tohsaka heiress heard a loud explosion in the school, "Lancer's going overkill over one guy." "Master, he's back," Archer alerted. "The knight in blue?" Archer nodded in confirmation.

"Archer, let's go."

The dust kicked up, as it settled, Blade's BlayRouser deflected the spear down nicking his right leg chipping out half-way through the diameter of the shin guard and into a crater close to the roof of the next floor beneath them.

Lancer grinned like maniac, impressed at his opponent's fighting ability, "You're good kid, too bad I'm gonna have to stop playing around and kill you. Still I wonder, what's the property of your armor?"

Shirou ignored him pulling up his other hand revealing two cards. "Hm?" Lancer hummed in curiosity. Slipping the first card through the Rouser,

'**TACKLE'**

Next thing Lancer knew, it felt like he got run over by a charging bull. Blade shoulder charged into Lancer with a sudden surprise attack empowered by the 4 of Spades Tackle Boar.

But that didn't stop there, Blade slipped another Rouse Card through the Rouser,

'**SLASH'**

Once more empowered by another Undead, the Slash Lizard's power sharpened his sword and swiped at Lancer. The blue Servant parried again into the wall blowing a big hole into the wall of the hallway and a giant slashing scar kicking up dust once more.

The dust died down again, this time Lancer was alone. _'Shit, where did he go?_' Roaring engines echoed throughout the area as a blur of blue, silver, and red zoomed out from the gates easily recognizing the mana signature from the Undead cards off of Blade.

And from fighter to hunter, Lancer tracked down the Rider, hopping from the school to the various roofs. By the time Rin arrived to the battlefield that was the school hallway, she cursed herself as she prepared the restoration on the battle scarred school, "Archer, find Lancer. If the blue knight from the other night let that one student escape from Lancer he's gonna kill him."

"As you wish Master."

With Archer gone, Rin let her prana flow as she pricked her finger letting a bead of blood drop onto a piece of rubble and glass as they reconstructed and cemented together good as new, '_Now onto more pressing matters._' "Archer, where is Lancer headed to?"

"_He's heading towards the Miyamachou side to a large traditional estate. More than likely where our spectator resides,"_ Archer answered.

"Hopefully we aren't too late," Rin worried. As the owner of Fuyuki, it was her responsibility to take care of the magic from mundane. More specifically in this case the secret of the Grail War. Most would have just killed any spectators like Lancer is trying to do, Rin was more than willing to look for him to erase or modify his memory about the brief clash between Archer and Lancer.

* * *

**Neighborhood Streets**

Riding away from the school, Shirou reverted back into his civilian form with his blue bike helmet on. Activating his communicator built in the helmet, he called on the operator hopefully done with the move, "Hirose-san!"

"_Shirou-kun, what's going on? I got a transformation alert earlier from you but I didn't see anything on the radar,"_ Hirose answered.

"You recall the news this yesterday about the murders? I think I found the killer," Shirou explained.

"_WHAT!?"_

"Call Hayakawa-san and tell him to come to my place."

"_But, shouldn't we call the police,"_ Hirose suggested.

"The police aren't going to be remotely helpful in this case. I was barely able to get away as Blade," Shirou explained, "Just get Hayakawa-san."

Shirou zoomed around the corner finding his estate's gates. Stopping his bike to a screeching halt, he dumped his vehicle at the said gates and rushed towards the front door. _'I doubt I lost him, more than likely he followed me keeping shadow distance. Fighting him would be almost useless. The spearman was holding back, a lot,'_ Shirou contemplated.

"Best chance I got is to get ready for him," Shirou said aloud.

"Good idea."

The Rider jumped away and turned around. In front of him was the spearman in blue, "You know, I almost lost you a few times. But your vehicle tipped me off where you were."

"You wouldn't kill a guy whose unarmed would you?" Shirou joked. "I am an honorable guy and normally I would," the blue warrior grinned, "But as I said before, you saw something you weren't supposed to see."

Lancer once again, thrust his spear at Shirou. Spying a katana one of Fuji-nee's relatives got him for his birthday at one point on a stand, the Rider made a grab for it, barely dodging the spear tip clipping his now bleeding side.

"Hmph, should have known you would go down fighting," Lancer mused, "After all, I can see it in your eyes. You're a warrior through and through, a man of the sword who fights for the people of his land no matter what happens to him. The way you fight speaks for itself."

Shirou clutched at his side in attempts to keep the blood in. Adrenaline was what kept Shirou going as he felt his wound starting to slowly close up. '_Damn, the gash was deep,_' Shirou cursed to himself, pulling out the katana from the sheath using his od to reinforce the blade.'_I'm gonna have to try and transform into Blade again, but he'll be expecting that. Still, I doubt he can get through the transformation field, so that the best bet I got. Need to get some distance from him._'

Shirou took a simple kendo stance as he circled around the spearman, taking each step carefully.

"Archer, find Lancer, we have to defeat him before he gets to that guy," Rin commanded as she ran the streets of Miyamachou.

"_Too late, Lancer already arrived to the kid's destination, chances are that he's dead,"_ Archer told her.

"Dammit," Rin cursed doubling her efforts to get to Lancer, "Archer, take me to him. If he is dead, there may be a chance to save him."

Inwardly Archer winced at the comment, unconsciously placing his hand over his heart. But he had to choice to comply at this time; he phased into the physical plane of existence and swiped Rin off her feet, carrying her across the roof tops.

Their destination, the Emiya Estate.

* * *

**Emiya Estate**

Shirou flew out of his living room through the window pane glass and out to the back yard with his katana embedded in the earth beside him as he landed in front of his shed. Lancer had followed flying outside, just paces away from Shirou, watching him struggle to get up.

"Give it up kid; you're way out of your league. It's starting to get boring now."

Once again, Shirou struggled back to his feet. He sported various cuts and gashes across his body, his gut bruised and his ribs quite possibly broken.

But somehow he was able to find the strength to pull out his Buckle and Rouse Card. Slipping the Ace in the BlayBuckle for the second time today, the belt formed again around Shirou whilst he shifted to his signature transformation pose.

"Oh no you don't," Lancer growled taking his lance overhead adopting a crouching stance while his red spear glowed blood-red.

"HENSHIN!"

"GAE…"

**TURN-UP**

"…BOLG!"

Lancer's speed proved true to his class, thrusting his spear once more. His spear going through the growing blue field inching closer to Shirou's heart, inching ever so closely to the nearest millisecond.

But as the spear inched closer to its target past the field, the field itself resisted Gae Bolg's advances till the tip of the spear just barely broke the skin over the flesh containing Shirou's heart.

"WHAT?!"

Lancer poured more of his Od into his spear trying to force his way through to the deathblow. Like earlier at the school, lighting and sparks flew all around the area but at a larger scale. Both let out a battle cry before the gap between the two individuals exploded sending the rocketing away from each other.

Rin and Archer heard the explosion seeing smoke rising over the rooftops only several blocks away from where they are.

"Archer!"

"I know."

Shirou had been rocketed through the doors of his shed/workshop as piles of rubble littered the area. He picked himself up again but only as far as his hands and knees as the adrenaline in his body faded, each stinging sensation his cuts that had been dulled escalated, much like the soreness of his bruised and the splintering pain of his ribs and other bones.

It was painful enough that he didn't even notice the warm sensation of red markings of a sword was etched onto his right hand whilst the glow of a spell circle traced itself with a sky blue glow, unnoticeable under these dim lights that filtered around the area.

"Hmph," the grunt of the blue-clad spearman catching Shirou's attention, "I don't know what the hell you have on you, but it ends here."

Upon his face, Lancer held a shit-eating grin like he just went on the greatest ride of his life, "Your little artifact was strong enough to repel my Noble Phantasm. Impossible, but then again, miracles have happened through history itself."

Lancer didn't bother with a proper stance, just taking a hunter's stance with his spear in an underhand style, "It's a shame, and you would have made a great seventh."

"Seventh?"

"But all things must meet its end, some sooner than others."

.

…

…

'_Is it really my time to die?'_

Fires flickered across his mind. The event ten years ago, just before Shirou was found by Kiritsugu to make a new beginning.

'_I was supposed to die back then. But I was saved, denied my early death.'_

Fires subsided as inky black sludge flooded the area, extinguishing everything there, those who touched was cursed to die. Either it be painfully or swiftly.

'_I was offered a penance for surviving._'

Kiritsugu lied on his deathbed. Young Shirou and Taiga crying for a fallen loved one.

'_I became Blade._'

Hayakawa, Hirose, President, Tachibana, Sakura, even Hajime. All of them helped him further on in his life. The BOARD members offering him the BlayRouser and the Ace of Spades Change Beetle.

'_I became a sword, a sword for the people. To fight the Undead, protect them from their senseless killings._'

A golden sword, it was blurred, but the shape was there within the blurry gold and blue shapes of the sword.

'_NO!_'

The circle beside him glowed brighter. Lancer flinched at the sudden brightness, but Shirou was unfazed. His strength came back to him and Shirou came back onto his feet.

"I have a duty."

His marking on his hand glowed reacting to the circle behind him.

"The Undead must be sealed, I must protect those close to me. And I can't do so if I'm dead!"

*BOOM*

The glowing spell circle shined brighter than ever finally catching Shirou's attention. Ascending from the circle, a silhouette came out till it materialized to a physical form.

A blonde haired, silver and blue armored female knight.

Immediately she attacked Lancer, forcing him away from Shirou and out of the shed with one swing of nothing but air. And while it had the desired effect of repelling Lancer, the blow was powerful enough to knock Shirou down again in his weakened state.

Next thing he knew, he stared straight into her sea-green eyes. Even more so, his wounds that he accumulated from Lancer seemed to have healed at an increased rate, but he didn't seem to notice pushing it off as a numbing side effect from the aura the girl in front of him seemed to hold.

The first words the new girl spoke were,

"I am the Servant Saber. Upon your summoning, I have answered your call. I ask of you, are you my Master?"

* * *

And thus we have our conclusion to the second chapter. Now I know you may have your questions on certain scenes I left off on. Well that's because those are going to be answered in the next chapter. I went over this like twice so if there are anything that may have caught your attention please tell me.

As for Hajime and Sakura, I'm going to sort of fuse Heaven's Feel into this. I got the over view on the Type-Moon's Wiki and I'm halfway done with the visual novel on the HF route.

I hope you all liked this fic.

~Cross177


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